Creel assemeby

ABSTRACT

A creel assembly including an elongate main trackway and at least two branch trackways communicating with the main trackway and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced apart relation. At least two carriers, each having means for mounting at least one yarn-supply package thereon, are mounted for independent movement along the trackways between a yarn-supplying position on respective branch trackways and a package replenishing position away from the branch trackways. The two carriers cooperate when in the yarn-supplying positions for alternative supplying of yarn from yarn-supply packages mounted thereon so that yarn may be supplied from one carrier while the other carrier is being replenished with full yarn-supply packages.

United States Patent Inventor William L. Schmidt Gastonia, N.C. Appl.No. 12,319 Filed Feb. 18, 1970 Patented Aug. 31, 1971 AssigneeColman-Cocker Company Gastonia, N.C.

CREE]. ASSEMBLY 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 242/l31.l, 28/34 Int. Cl ..B65h49/02, D03j 5/08 Field of Search242/130, 131.1; 28/34, 32; 214/59 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS11/1951 Lambach 2,958,479 11/1960 Crawfordetal.

242/131 3,055,610 9/1962 Keyser 242/131 3,477,661 11/1969 Emerson et a1.242/131 Fri/nary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian Attorney-Parrott, Bell,Seltzer, Park & Gibson ABSTRACT: A creel assembly including an elongatemain trackway and at least two branch trackways communicating with themain trackway and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced apartrelation. At least two carriers, each having means for mounting at leastone yarn-supply package thereon, are

mounted for independent movement along the trackways between ayarn-supplying position on respective branch trackways and a packagereplenishing position away from the PATENTED M831 lsn SHEET 1 [1F 2INVENT OR: WILUAM L. 5CHMII T ATTORNEY .5

PATENTEUMIEBI an I SHEET 2 BF 2 mvsmon: wlLuAM L. ScHmbT ATTORNEY 5CREEL ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a creel assembly and moreparticularly to a creel assembly customarily used in conjunction withwarpers or beamers.

In the supplying of a plurality of yarn or the like ends from a creelassembly, collecting them in warp form and winding the same in a warperor beamer, it is highly desirable that the yarn or the like becontinuously supplied from the creel assembly so as to minimize the idletime of the warper or beamer and thus, increase the production of thewarper.

Heretofore, various creel assemblies have been provided which allow thecontinuous supply of yarn or the like therefrom and are usually referredto as magazine creels. Typically, these magazine creels include aunitary, frame structure on which is provided a plurality of pairs ofcooperating yarnsupply package holders, the axis of which focus into theeyelet of a conventional tension device through which the yarn is drawn.Supply packages on cooperating holders are tied leading end to trailingend so that when one of the supply packages is spent, yarn will besupplied from the supply package on the cooperating holder. Thus, itwill be apparent that while yarn is being supplied from a supply packageon one holder, the other holder may be replenished with a fresh supplypackage, so that yarn may be continuously supplied from supply packageson cooperating holders.

However, these magazine creels have not proven to be entirelysatisfactory for several reasons. For instance, creels of this typerequire the continued attention of an operator in replenishingindividual spent packages and auxiliary equipment for use by theoperator in replenishing spent supply packages such as carts, trucks orthe like for transporting and storing full supply packages. In addition,these type magazine creels require excessive handling of the yarn supplypackages. Furthermore, the supply package holders are relativelyinaccessible which presents problems of interference with the supply ofyarn from an adjacent package upon replenishing spent supply packages.

Other-type magazine creels have also been provided from which aplurality of yarn or the like ends may be supplied. However, thesecreels likewise include many of the shortcomings of the magazine typecreels briefly described above and often include complicated mechanismssuch as conveyor mechanisms and the like which substantially enhance thecost of the creel without improving the operability thereof.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved creelassembly from which a plurality of yarn or the like ends may becontinuously supplied and which alleviate the shortcomings of heretoforeprovided magazine creel assemblies.

Briefly, the object of this invention is accomplished by providing acreel assembly comprising an elongate main trackway, and at least twobranch trackways communicating with the main trackway and extendingoutwardly therefrom in spaced-apart relation. At least two carriers areprovided and each has means thereon for mounting at least oneyarn-supply package and are mounted for independent movement along thetrackways between a yarn-supplying position on respective branchtrackways and a supply package replenishing position away from thebranch trackways. The at least two carriers cooperate when in theyarn-supplying positions for alternative supplying of yarn from yarnsupply packages mounted thereon so that yarn may be supplied from onecarrier while the other carrier is moved from the supplying positionalong the trackways to the replenishing position for replenishingthereof with full yarn supply packages and returned to the supplyingposition.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top plan view of a creel assembly constructed inaccordance with the present invention and positioned in cooperatingrelation with a warper;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line2-2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating in elevation a portion of the creelassembly of FIG. 1;

. FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view with parts in sectionof a portion of the creel assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the creelassembly illustrated in FIG. 2 with parts in section and illustratingthe mounting of the carriers to the trackways; and

FIG: 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view with parts in sectionof the trackway of the creel assembly of FIG. 1 and further illustratingthe mounting of the carriers to the trackways. Referring specifically toFIG. 1, there is shown in top plan view a creel assembly, generallyindicated at C, constructed in accordance with the present invention forcontinuously supplying a plurality of yarn ends Y from a plurality ofyarn-supply packages'P without interruption while allowing replenishmentof spent supply packages P. The creel assembly 0 has associatedtherewith tensioning means, generally indicated at T, for applying apredetermined tension on individual yarn ends Y and a warper W forcollecting the yarn ends Y in warp form and winding of the same forsubsequent use-in weaving or the like. 7

The creel assembly C, as illustrated, comprises a horizontally extendingelongate main trackway, preferably in the form of a monorail 21, and atleast two horizontally extending elongate branch tr ackways, alsopreferably in the form of monorails 22, which communicate with the mainmonorail 21 and extend outwardly from one side thereof in spaced-apartrelation. The monorails 21 and 22 are supported by suitable means abovethe floor F of a building structure such as by suspension from theceiling of the building structure by conventional monorail suspensionmeans. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the creel assembly C may and preferablydoes include a plurality of branch monorails 22 extending outwardly fromopposite sides of the main monorail 21 in spaced-apart relation. Whilethe branch monorails 22 on opposite sides of the main monorail 21 areillustrated as being symmetric, it will become apparent that thisarrangement is not essential upon further description of the creelassembly C.

With further reference to FIG. I, the main monorail 21 includes oppositeend portions 21a and 21b. End portion 21a is substantially linear withthe branch monorails 22 being disposed from opposite sides therealongand communicating therewith along similar curvilinear paths which curvetoward the other end 21b of the main monorail 21. The end portion 21b ofthe main monorail 21 may take on substantially any form but isillustrated in FIG. 1 as being of a loop configuration and, as willbecome apparent, forms a supply package replenishing position removedfrom yarn-supplying positions defined along respective branch monorails22 and will be hereinafter more fully described.

The creel assembly C further includes at least two carriers 30 andpreferably a carrier 30 for each of the respective branch monorails 22.With reference to FIG. 2, each of the carriers 30 includes an invertedgenerally L-shaped hollow frame member 31 which may be formed forinstance of hollow tubing or the like by conventional formingtechniques. Rollers 32 are pivotally mounted to each end of the shortleg 31a of frame member 31 and are mounted in communicating monorails 21and 22 to vertically suspend and mount carriers 30 for independentmovement along both the main monorail 21 and the branch monorails 22between a yarn-supplying position on respective branch monorails 22 anda supply package replenishing position away from the branch monorails 22along end portion 21b of the main monorail 21.

In addition, carriers 30 have identical vertically disposed banks ofmeans 35 for mounting a plurality of yarn-supply packages P thereon.More particularly, each of the carriers 30 includes a plurality ofidentical vertically spaced means 35 for mounting pairs of yarn-supplypackages P thereon. With reference to FIG. 3, each of yarn-supplypackage mounting means 35 includes opposed support arms 36 which extendoutwardly from opposite sides ofthe frame member 31. A

spindle 37 on which a yarn-supply package P may be mounted is carried byeach of the support arms 36 and, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,mount the yarn-supply packages P at a slight inclination, such as abovehorizontal, FIG. 2, in symmetric diverging relation, FIGS. 1 and 3, fromthe frame member 31 relative to each other.

As previously described, the carriers 30 are independently movable byrollers 32 along both the main monorail 21 and branch monorails 22, asillustrated by phantom lines in FIG. 2. When the carriers 30 arepositioned at the terminal ends of respective branch monorails 22, asindicated in FIGS 1, 2 and 3, they are in yarn-supplying positions. Withcarriers 30 in the yarn-supplying positions, it will be noted thatadjacent yarnsupply packages P on adjacent carriers 30 converge towardeach other. On opposite sides of the main monorail 21 and extendingparallel thereto are vertically disposed tension means, generallyindicated at T, and including supporting structure 40 on which ismounted a plurality of horizontally and vertically spaced tensioningdevices 41 of conventional construction.

With reference to FIGS 2 and 3, a tensioning'device 41 is disposed atthe focal point of the longitudinal axis of adjacent convergingyarn-supply packages P carrier by adjacent carriers 30. Thus, yarn Y maybe supplied from either of these adjacent yarn-supply packages P throughthe cooperating tensioning device 41. Accordingly, adjacent carriers 30cooperate when in the yarn-supplying positions for the alternativesupplying of yarn Y from yarn-supply packages P mounted thereon so thatwhile yarn Y is being supplied from yarn-supply packages P on alternatecarriers 30, the adjacent carriers 30 may be moved along theirrespective branch monorails 22 to the main monorail 21 and therealong tothe end portion 21b where they may be replenished with fresh yarn-supplypackages P and thereafter returned to yarn-supplying positions inrespective branch monorails 22.

In order to effect the transfer of yarn supplying between adjacentcarriers 30 without interruption, the leading ends of replenishedyarn-supply packages P are tied to the trailing ends of the adjacentyarn-supply packages P on the adjacent carriers 30 so that whenyarn-supply packages P mountedon alternate carriers 30 are spent, yarn 1will be supplied from the carriers 30 having replenished yarn-supplypackages P. It will-then be apparent that this manner of operation maybe continued to continuously supply a plurality of yarn ends Y from thecreel assembly C.

As previously indicated and illustrated in FIG. 1, end portion 21b ofthe main monorail 21 is of loop configuration and forms a supply packagereplenishing position removed from the supplying positions on respectivebranch monorails 22. The loop configuration is highly desirable in thatexcess carriers 30 having replenished yarn-supply package P mountedthereon may be stored for movement along the main monorail 21 to asupplying position in one of the branch monorails 22 to eliminate theneed for replenishment of yarn-supply packages P on carriers 30 as theyare removed from supplying positions. Furthermore, the end portion 21bof main monorail 21 may interconnect with other creel assemblies C andpass to a common station for replenishment of yarn-supply packages P,such as where the yarn-supply packages P are being prepared to eliminateexcessive manual handling of the supply packages P, transportation andstorage of same.

With reference to FIG. 4, each of the branch monorails 22 have anabutment member 45 carrier thereby adjacent the terminal end thereof andextending into the path of the short leg 31a of frame member 31 forentering into abutting relation with same to insure the properpositioning of carriers 30 in the yarn-supplying positions in respectivebranch monorails 22. When the carriers 30 are properly positioned inrespective yarn-supplying positions, that is, in abutting relation withabutment members 45, means cooperate therewith to facilitate thesecurement of the carriers 30 in that position.

With reference to FIG. 2, there is mounted, on the F of a buildingstructure in which the creel assembly C is to be used, means, generallyindicated at 50, for securing the carriers 30 in respectiveyarn-supplying positions. More particularly, each of the securing means50 includes a support block 51 suitably mounted on the floor F andhaving a vertically disposed generally C-shaped collar 52 positioned forreceiving the frame member 31 of a carrier 30 therein. A horizontallydisposed foot petal 53 is pivotally mounted to support block 51 within aslot, not shown, therein beneath collar 52 and has a verticallyextending rod or pin 54 carried thereby which communicates internally ofhollow frame member 31 when in the yarn-supplying position. Foot petal53 is spring biased by means, not shown, upwardly so that by depressingfoot petal 53 and positioning carrier 30 in the yarn-supplying position,release of foot petal 53 will cause pin 54 to be received in hollowframe member 31 to secure the maintenance of carrier 30 in theyarn-supplying position. When it is desired to remove the carrier 30from the yarn-supplying position, foot petal 53 is depressed to overridethe spring biasing means and withdraw pin 54 from the hollow framemember 31.

In order to facilitate the guidance of rollers 32 of respective carriers30 between the main monorail 21 and the branch monorails 22, guidemeans, generally indicated at 60, in FIG. 3, are operatively associatedwith the main monorail 21 and each of the branch monorails 22 forguiding the carriers 30 therebetween. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, aguide means 60 is positioned along the main monorail 21 adjacent thepoint of communication with a branch monorail 22. Each of the guidemeans 60 includes a guide arm 61 pivotally mounted as at 62 to the mainmonorail 21 adjacent the point of communication of the branch monorail22 on the side of the main monorail 21 opposite the direction which thebranch monorail 22 extends. The guide arm 61 includes a concave guidesurface 61a and communicates through a slot, not shown, in the mainmonorail 22 to form an extension by the guide surface 61a of the branchmonorail 22 to the main monorail 21 so that rollers 32 of a carrier 30may be guided therebetween. A pin 63 is carried by the guide arm 61 andlimits the inward-pivoting movement of the guide arm 61 to control thepositioning thereof. Spring means, not shown, may be provided fornormally biasing the guide arm 61 out of the main monorail 21 so as notto interfere with the movement of carriers 30 between other branchmonorails 22 and the main monorail 21. Since the branch monorails 22 ofthe creel assembly C hereillustrated are symmetric on opposite sides ofthe main monorail 21, guide means 60 are also symmetrically disposed onopposite sides of the main monorail 21.

With reference again to FIG. 1, the plurality of yarn ends Y suppliedfrom the creel assembly C pass through the respective tensioning devices41 of the tension means T and suitable stop-motion mechanisms S disposedon opposite sides and at the forward end of the creel assembly C to awarper W where the yarn ends Y are collected in warp form and wound forsubsequent use. In addition to the creel assembly C and warper Warrangement of FIG. 1, it will be readily apparent that creel assembliesC may be disposed in side-by-side relation with warpers W staggeredtherebetween so that yarn ends Y for a particular warper W may be drawnfrom adjacent sides of adjacent creel assemblies C to conserve floorspace.

In operation, each of the carriers 30 loaded with full yarnsupplypackages P are positioned in the yarn-supplying positions on respectivebranch monorails 22 and secured there by securing means 50. The leadingend of yarn-supply packages P on alternate carriers 30 are tied to thetrailing end of adjacent yarn-supply packages P on adjacent carriers 30,as illustrated in FIG, 1. The leading end of the yarn-supply packages Phaving their trailing ends tied to leading ends of adjacent yarnsupplypackages P are threaded through appropriate tensioning devices 41,respective stop-motion mechanisms S and warper W where the plurality ofyarn ends Y are collected in warp form and wound. It will be apparentthat when the yarnsupply packages P on alternate carriers 30 from whichyarn ends Yare first supplied are spent, yarn ends Y will be suppliedfrom adjacent carriers 30.

During the supply of yarn ends Yfrom the latter carriers 30, the otheralternate carriers 30 are inactive, that is, no yarn ends Y are beingsupplied therefrom. These carriers 30 are released from their securingmeans 50 and moved from the yarn-supplying positions in respectivebranch monorails 22 along same to main monorail 21 and therealong to endportion 21b where they may be replenished with full yarn-supply packagesP. Thereafter, replenished carriers 30 are returned to theyarrL-supplying positions in respective branch monorails 22. Upon eturnto the yam-supply positions, the leading end of the replenishedyarn-supply packages P are tied to the trailing end of adjacentyarn-supply packages P on adjacent carriers 30. v

This manner of operation may be continued to continuously supply aplurality of yarn ends Y from the creel assembly C. In many instances,rather than replenishing carriers 30 as they are removed from theyarn-supplying positions it may be desirable to have excess carriers 30,as illustrated in FIG. 1, having full yarn-supply packages P mountedthereon stored along the end portion 21b of main monorail 21, so thatthese carriers 30 may be placed in the yarn-supplying positions uponremoval of carriers 30 from the yarn-supplying positions.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. A creel assembly for supplying textile yarns and the like from aplurality of supply packages and being characterized in its ability tocontinuously supply yarn or the like therefrom without interruptionwhile allowing replenishment of spent supply packages, said creelassembly comprising an elongate main trackway,

at least two branch trackways communicating with said main trackway andextending outwardly therefrom in spaced-apart relation, and

at least two carriers, each of said carriers having means for mountingat least one yarn-supply package thereon and being mounted forindependent movement along said.

trackways between a yarn-supplying position on respective branchtrackways and a supply package replenishing position away from saidbranch trackways,

said at least two carriers cooperating when in said yarn-sup-' plyingpositions for alternative supplying of yarn from yarn supply packagesmounted thereon so that yarn may be supplied from one carrier while theother carrier may be moved from said supplying position along saidtrackways to said replenishing position for replenishing thereof with afull yarn-supply package and returned to said supplying position.

2. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said main trackwayand said branch trackways are horizontally extending and said carriersare vertically extending.

3. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said carriers haveidentical vertically disposed banks of means for mounting a plurality ofyam-supply packages thereon on each of said carriers.

4. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 2, including meanscooperating with each of said carriers and each of said branch trackwaysfor securing said carriers in said supplying positions.

5. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said branchtrackways are located generally along one end of said main trackway, andwherein said creel assembly includes means forming a packagereplenishing position located generally along the other end of said maintrackway so that said carriers may be moved from said supplyingpositions on said branch trackways, along said main trackway, to saidreplenishing position.

6. A creel assembly for supplying textile yarn and the like from aplurality of supply packages and being characterized in its ability tocontinuously supply yarn or the like therefrom without interruptionwhile allowing replenishment of spent supply packages, said creelassembly comprising a horizontally extending elongate main monorail,

at least two horizontally extending branch monorails communicating withsaid main monorail and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced-apartrelation, and

at least two vertically extending carriers, each of said carriers havinga plurality of identical vertically spaced means for mounting pairs ofyarn-supply packages thereon and being mounted for independent movementalong said monorails between a yarn-supplying position on respectivebranch monorails and a yarn replenishing position away from said branchmonorails, alternate ones of said carrierscooperating when in saidyarn-supplying position for alternative supplying of yarn fromyarnsupply packages mounted thereon so that yarn may be supplied fromone carrier while the other carrier may be moved from said supplyingposition along said monorails to said replenishing position forreplenishing thereof with full yarn-supply packages and returned to saidsupplying position. v 7. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 6,including guide means operatively associated with said main monorail andeach of said branch monorails for guiding the carriers between said mainmonorailand said branch monorails.

8. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said spaced pairsof yarn package mounting means are adapted for mounting yarn packages onopposite sides of said carrier at a slight inclination above horizontaland diverging relative to each other from said carrier toward adjacentcarriers when in said yarn-supplying positions so that adjacentyarn-supply packages mounted on adjacent carriers converge toward eachother and cooperate for the alternative supplying of yarn therefrom.

9. A creel assembly for supplying textile yarns and the like from aplurality of supply packages and being characterized in its ability tocontinuously supply yarn or the like therefrom without interruptionwhile allowing replenishment of spent supply packages, said creelassembly comprising a horizontally extending elongate main monorail, atleast two horizontally extending branch monorails communicating withsaid main monorail and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced apartrelation, said branch monorails being located generally along one end ofsaid main monorail,

at least two carriers, each of said carriers being mounted forindependent movement along said monorails between a yarn-supplyingposition on respective branch monorails and a supply packagereplenishing position away from said branch monorails, each of saidcarriers having a plurality of identical vertically spacedpairs of meansfor mounting yarn-supply packages thereon and being adapted for mountingyarn-supply packages on opposite sides of each of said carriers at aslight inclination above horizontal and diverging relative to each otherfrom said carrier toward adjacent carriers when in said yarn-supplyingpositions so that adjacent yarn-supply packages mounted on adjacentcarriers converge toward each other and cooperate for the alternativesupplying of yarn therefrom,

guide means operatively associated with said main monorail and each ofsaid branch monorails for guiding the carriers between said mainmonorail and said branch monorails, and

means forming a package replenishing position located generally alongthe other endof said main monorail so that said carriers may be movedfrom said supplying positions on said branch monorails along said mainmonorail to said replenishing position.

' said at least two carriers cooperating when in said yarn-supplyingpositions for alternative supplying of yarn from yarn-supply packagesmounted thereon so that yarn may be supplied from one carrier while theother carrier may be moved from said supplying position along saidmonorails to said replenishing position for replenishing thereof withfull yarn-supply packages and returned to said supplying position.

1. A creel assembly for supplying textile yarns and the like from aplurality of supply packages and being characterized in its ability tocontinuously supply yarn or the like therefrom without interruptionwhile allowing replenishment of spent supply packages, said creelassembly comprising an elongate main trackway, at least two branchtrackways communicating with said main trackway and extending outwardlytherefrom in spaced-apart relation, and at least two carriers, each ofsaid carriers having means for mounting at least one yarn-supply packagethereon and being mounted for independent movement along said trackwaysbetween a yarn-supplying position on respective branch trackways and asupply package replenishing position away from said branch trackways,said at least two carriers cooperating when in said yarnsupplyingpositions for alternative supplying of yarn from yarn supply packagesmounted thereon so that yarn may be supplied from one carrier while theother carrier may be moved from said supplying position along saidtrackways to said replenishing position for replenishing thereof with afull yarn-supply package and returned to said supplying position.
 2. Acreel assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said main trackway andsaid branch trackways are horizontally extending and said carriers arevertically extending.
 3. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 2,wherein said carriers have identical vertically disposed banks of meansfor mounting a plurality of yarn-supply packages thereon on each of saidcarriers.
 4. A creel assembly, as set forth in claim 2, including meanscooperating with each of said carriers and each of said branch trackwaysfor securing said carriers in said supplying positions.
 5. A creelassembly, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said branch trackways arelocated generally along one end of said main trackway, and wherein saidcreel assembly includes means forming a package replenishing positionlocated generally along the other end of said main trackway so that saidcarriers may be moved from said supplying positions on said branchtrackways, along said main trackway, to said replenishing position.
 6. Acreel assembly for supplying textile yarn and the like from a pluralityof supply packages and being characterized in its ability tocontinuously supply yarn or the like therefrom without interruptionwhile allowing replenishment of spent supply packages, said creelassembly comprising a horizontally extending elongate main monorail, atleast two horizontally extending branch monorails communicating withsaid main monorail and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced-apartrelation, and at least two vertically extending carriers, each of saidcarriers having a plurality of identical vertically spaced means formounting pairs of yarn-supply packages thereon and being mounted forindependent movement along said monorails between a yarn-supplyingposition on respective branch monorails and a yarn replenishing positionaway from said branch monorails, alternate ones of said carrierscooperating when in said yarn-supplying position for alternativesupplying of yarn from yarn-supply packages mounted thereon so that yarnmay be supplied from one carrier while the other carrier may be movedfrom said supplying position along said monorails to said replenishingposition for replenishing thereof with full yarn-supply packages andreturned to said supplying position.
 7. A creel assembly, as set forthin claim 6, including guide means operatively associated with said mainmonorail and each of said branch monorails for guiding the carriersbetween said main monorail and said branch monorails.
 8. A creelassembly, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said spaced pairs of yarnpackage mounting means are adapted for mounting yarn packages onopposite sides of said carrier at a slight inclination above horizontaland diverging relative to each other from said carrier toward adjacentcarriers when in said yarn-supplying positions so that adjacentyarn-supply packages mounted on adjacent carriers converge toward eachother and cooperate for the alternative supplying of yarn therefrom. 9.A creel assembly for supplying textile yarns and the like from aplurality of supply packages and being characterized in its ability tocontinuously supply yarn or the like therefrom without interruptionwhile allowing replenishment of spent supply packages, said creelassembly comprising a horizontally extending elongate main monorail, atleast two horizontally extending branch monorails communicating withsaid main monorail and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced apartrelation, said branch monorails being located generally along one end ofsaid main monorail, at least two carriers, each of said carriers beingmounted for independent movement along said monorails between ayarn-supplying position on respective branch monorails and a supplypackage replenishing position away from said branch monorails, each ofsaid carriers having a plurality of identical vertically spaced pairs ofmeans for mounting yarn-supply packages thereon and being adapted formounting yarn-supply packages on opposite sides of each of said carriersat a slight inclination above horizontal and diverging relative to eachother from said carrier toward adjacent carriers when in saidyarn-supplying positions so that adjacent yarn-supply packages mountedon adjacent carriers converge toward each other and cooperate for thealternative supplying of yarn therefrom, guide means operativelyassociated with said main monorail and each of said branch monorails forguiding the carriers between said main monorail and said branchmonorails, and means forming a package replenishing position locatedgenerally along the other end of said main monorail so that saidcarriers may be moved from said supplying positions on said branchmonorails along said main monorail to said replenishing position. saidat least two carriers cooperating when in said yarn-supplying positionsfor alternative supplying of yarn from yarn-supply packages mountedthereon so that yarn may be supplied from one carrier while the othercarrier may be moved from said supplying position along said monorailsto said replenishing position for replenishing thereof with fullyarn-supply packages and returned to said supplying position.